Production
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.
Median pay
$43,380
Growth to 2035
−2%
declining
Openings a year
5,300
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing: 37% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.
- Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges.
- Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
- Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
- Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.
- Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
- Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.
- Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.
Also called: Boring Machine Operator · Cabinet Maker · Knot Saw Operator · Lathe Operator · Machine Operator · Molder Operator · Router Operator · Sander
Outlook and AI
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing held 60,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 59,400 by 2035 (−2%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
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